tech..front wheel cockeyed??!!!

[Trikeaholic]

I removed the center hub to install new wheels and tires. On the front, the wheel is slightly cockeyed to one side. I dont think the forks or any related parts are bent, the axle seems straight, the forks appear to be the same hieght in the trees. The wheel looks like it tracks to the side ever so slightly. what am I missing? the spacers are in correctly, I cant figure it out. its starting to pee me off. never had this happen before. Any suggestions? Its hard to mess with it, since the rear axle is not secured, still waiting on the effin plater for a little bracket, so its up on the stand still, cant really force anything either way or it will just fall off the stand. I guess once its all together I can monkey with it, but for now, I feel it should line up properly, but it does not.

[slippy4]

on the bottom left fork (while sitting on the bike) have a plate that has 4 bolts in that hold the axle? what happens is if you dont have your tire strait when bolting this on it stays in the position that you have it in. just loosen them up (dont take them out) have someone hold the handlebars staight then line up the tire between the forks and tighten them and it should be in straight.

[SloPoke]

I have the same problem!!! :x Mines slightly cockeyed towards the right (as you sit on it). I've done the loostening the 4 bolts and adjusting but it still seems to be off ever so slightly. Now what? Any more suggestions?

[Trikeaholic]

yep, to the right also. I swear it wasnt like that before I took it apart.

[Lots_Of_Nothing]

well holic, if your talking about trailprotrailpro 84 R, I had this same problem on mine, and i could swear the forks werent bent, i took them out and laid them on a flat surface, and they seemed perfectly straight, yet, just for the hell of it, i put the trike with the forks and everything on up on some blocks, loosened the 8 bolts on the tripple clamp, and i spun both forks a little, then would sit on the seat and look down, and i kept doing this, and i finally found the right position, and that aligned it properly, i guess it only takes the slightest bend to do this...............................also, another thing i have had to do before is, one fork had to be lower in the clamp then the other and this aligned them properly, i have went through a few sets of forks, and this is how i have had all these experiences, i can't even count how many sets i have bought where they say "there straight as an arrow" i get them, and there friggen bent.

Just play around with them in the tripple clamps, you'll get it


hope this helps.

[Jeb]

I had a similar problem on my 85. But it had a severely bent front end. I bought some straight forks and rebuilt them. Installed it all and the front tire was still just slightly skewed to the right. While I had the new forks apart I had verified their straightness of the upper tubes so I knew bent forks werent the problem. I figured then it must be a bent axle. I verified that it was not a bent axle, rim, hub, or frame etc. Took the triples apart and low and behold the steering shaft was bent, up toward the threads. I had missed this when I put it together the first time because I figured all the problem was the severely bent forks. Anyway, the bent shaft was causing the top triple to set somewhat skewed, which translated down to front tire. I replaced the triple clamps and now she's 100% straight.

Yours may not be bent, but maybe the triples are setting a little crooked for some reason.

[bobr]

I have a similar problem with my 250SX. After installing a Douglas wheel, the tire and wheel both sit to one side. They aren't centered in the forks. Any ideas? Bob

[tecatecrazy]

sounds like u bought the wrong rim bob

[Trikeaholic]

oh, mine is fixed. I rotated one of the fork tubes in the triple, and it straightned right up. Must be slightly bent somewhere, Oh well.

[thefox]

On my motorcycle I had the same problem. It turned out to be that the tripple tree was twisted a very little bit so when I loosened up all the bolts on it I was able to straiten it by lighning it up with what was strait and then tightening it up.

-Andrew

[TimSr]

One of the forks is bent on my TriZ on the upper tube, probably enough to make the fork 3 or 4" out of whack at the end. With axle and wheel off, I rotated the bent upper tube in the triple clamp so that the bend made the fork stick directly out to the side. Then the axle pulls it together without having it extending forward or backwards to cockeye the wheel. I thought about repacing it, but the only time I remember its even bent is when I take the front wheel off!